I choose a theme for each year vs. making resolutions. The beauty, as I've found, is that a theme is much less pressure than having to reach some lofty goal. It's more of a gentle reminder to shift your focus to a greater outcome, to choose a path that doesn't necessarily have an end.
My theme last year, deciding comes first, found me via a gift from a dear friend. And that is just what happened for this new year, too. My broker and friend Cherie gifted me a set of inspirational quote cards that I swap out each morning. The very first card I pulled was: self-care isn't selfish. It's a reminder that I needed (years ago!) but it couldn't have been more timely.
You see, as a single mom for well over decade and a busy Real Estate professional for almost two decades, it comes natural to tend to the needs and wants of others first. But, said needs can only be attended to fully and wholeheartedly when I show myself compassion first. Taking a regular time-out to unplug from all social media and my phone while walking with my dog, enjoying my morning coffee while reading a few pages of a good book, scheduling work-outs firmly into my daily agenda, and enjoying the bliss that I find at my monthly spa appointment have all become part of my self-care routine which I try to indulge in without guilt. I'm still adjusting, it's not always easy with a never-ending to-do list, but I recognize how important it is to just be for a moment, to tune in and to listen to what I need right now. Taking good care of myself helps me be a better mom, friend, and REALTOR®.
For my birthday last October, I gifted myself a membership to a spa. I get to choose between a massage and a custom facial each month and I can tell you that this has been one of the nicest gifts I've ever given myself. I'm still working on shutting of my brain for that hour and to not think about what I need to get done the rest of the day. But I'm getting better at it with each visit.
If you haven't found a theme or goal for this year, then join me in in this one: self-care isn't selfish. Take good care of yourself, you've earned it.
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